Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-05-26
THE aBOOM.n
A Citizen Advances some Sensible
Thoughts on the Present situation
some of Rock Islands Advantages

A Citizen Advances some Sensible
Thoughts on the Present situation
some of Rock Islands Advantages
Enumerated.
Editor of the Argus.
Rock ISLAND, ILL.,, May 25 Every
on Der OF property in the city of
Rock Island and its vicinity. every person
directly or indirectly interested in the
material welfare of the city, is looking
anxiously about for some indication of
it. Every man scans eagerly the face of
his neighbor while he asks for news of It.
Like the long expected rain on a sun
parched country, like the long looked for
wind, to the becalmed mariner. like the
flowing stream to the miage-led traveller
in the arid desert, its welcome signs ap>
per upon the most distant horizon. the
air seems to breathe it, the birds in their
wanton flight bring news of it, it is
bourne on the wings of night. and its
bright CLEANS fash from the dewy eye
hds of the waking dawn IL has got to
come
SIoth, idleness, lethargy. sleep, greed,
selfishr ess, all have had their day The
TIDE OF PROSPERITY
has flowed steadily by our doors Wealth
has poured its golden streams through
and out of our gates and has flowed on
to enrich with its bounteous gifts distant
and less deserving communities The
money of our people has been poured out
to the far west to aid in building up
towns and cities in which we have no in
terest. By thousands and tens of thous-
ands we have sent away the wealth
which should have found investment ri
home, and by building up houses and
factories here. not only yielding Il due in
crease on itself but adding to the value of
every dollar already invested here. The
two questions for us to answer, the two
problems for us to solve are. fir how to
find here, at home, a safe investment
for our local wealth; and second, how to
induce foreign capital to come and utilize
our present unused resources. When We
have found an answer to these two ques
tions, We will no longer have TO wait foI
or seek after the prosperity which we viii
call our boom" If the savings of oul
own citizens can find an active use il
building up and developing our needed
industries, starting the wheels of manu-
facture and covering our vacant acres
with houses for our laboring men. ant
mechanics, the hardest question by fa
will find its answer Can this be brough
nh ha u,
have within three short miles of ou
city
WATER POWER
in comparison to which that which turn
the thousands OF busy spindles at Fal
River. Massachusetts. sinks into insigniti
canoe. We are surrounded with fields o
coal, inexhaustible in extent and easy o
access A river flows past our door
which could bear the fleets of the worlC
upon its bosom, and which is destined il
time to come, far more than in time
past, TO be the highway of commerce
The cotton of the south can be handled
on our streets with no greater trouble o
expense than is necessary in conveying i
from the docks of Savannah to the loom
Of Massachusetts. and the products o
our mills would find their market neare
by thousand miles of costly carriage
The interstate commerce law will, if it
provisions are enforced, as there is ever,
reason to believe they will be, increas,
many fold the
THE ADVANTAGES WE Enjoy
as a manufacturing community Tn
forests of the north are borne to us b,
its current, and the wooded hills of tn
south are easy of access. No city in tn
west possesses better natural advantage
as a wholesale and distributing point, AM
vet in no city of equal size, even withou
those natural facliities, is this branch o
industry so sadly neglected
But it is not in the building up o
factories, mills, and wholesale house
alone that capital could find safe AN
profitable employment. We have no,
more actual working population than tht
number of houses within our city's limit
will shelter. We need
MORE COTTAGE HOUSES.
not palaces for the wealthy, but house
for the poor Our population is increas
ing now, notwithstanding the almos
iusurmountable obstacles to progres
against which We are forced to labor; an
how much greater would this iDcreas
he If we had room to accommodate thos
who would seek homes among us. Tn
fourteen thousand of Rock Islands pop
ulation reside and do business on les
than two square miles of ground, an
this space is too small The corporation
limits of the city OF Davenport includ
more territory than the city of Roc
Island, and the township of South Roc
Island put together, and the city cover
it ali We are choked, stifled and boun
in by our narrow boundaries, and hav
no room to grow that is not locked III
and made Unavailable by those who wi
not part with their landed possessions
THE BUSINESS MEMS ASSOCIATION
of Rock Islands, now striving to take som
steps forward in the accomplishment q
works which will furnish the answer an
in this work they deserve and should hav
the solution TO our questions, and in tbi
moral and financial support of our peo
| pie. Time and work will accomplish al
things aud com pass every object, and n
personal feeling, no thought of gel
interest should for moment he sllowe
to stand in the way of progress and tn
general good.
II liberal spirit is manifested now
it is as certain as that the sun shines
the heavens and the day comes when th
night is past, that every dollar investe
will return ten fold to the investor, an
prosperity will be ours, such rs W
scarcely hope for. S. J.
Important Proceedings.
The Peoria J0tuRai of last evening h.
the following, which will be of lnterei
81, Danl, I'll, 4,